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Torchlight II > Guides > Imada's Guides
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My Summoner Cannoner Engineer Build for Hardcore Elite v1.1
By Imada
Wanna try a hardcore character? Check out this build.
   
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Created by
Imada
Online
Category: Characters, Classes
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
2 May, 2020 @ 10:40am
10 Oct, 2023 @ 12:12pm
3,264 Unique Visitors
127 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
TABLE OF CONTENT 
1 - INTRODUCTION 
2 - SKILLS 
3 - LEVELING 
4 - ROTATION 
5 - HOTKEYS 
6 - STATS 
7 - SPELLS 
8 - PET SPELLS 
9 - SUPER HINTS 
10 - OTHER GUIDES 
Comments
TABLE OF CONTENT
1 - INTRODUCTION
2 - SKILLS
3 - LEVELING
4 - ROTATION
5 - HOTKEYS
6 - STATS
7 - SPELLS
8 - PET SPELLS
9 - SUPER HINT
10 - OTHER GUIDES
1 - INTRODUCTION
Some people asks me about a build for hardcore. I just started a hardcore game after studing a viable build. Engineers are the best class to try a hardcore run. This guide is the result of my research.

The aim of this build is NOT to be a tank, do NOT try to tank for the group. The aim of this build is to be a support + dps with high survivability.
2 - SKILLS
BLITZ
Storm Burst 1
Heavy Lifting 15

CONSTRUCTION
Healing Bot 15
Blast Cannon 15
Spider mines 15
Gun Bot 15
Sledgebot 15
Fire and Spark 10
Charge Domination 1

AEGIS
Forcefield 15
Immobilization Copter 15

http://tidbi.ru/eng/engineer.php?lvl=100&fm=32&skill=0000010F00FFFF00F0A10F0000F000&stat=apafafapaaaaaaaa

Forcefield vs aegis of fate
Some players likes aegis of fate because they're to lazy to keep casting forcefield. But even without any charge, forcefield absorbs an amount of damage similar to aegis of fate, with the advantage that you have control of it's activation because you can cast it.
Blast Cannon does not generate charge, but auto attacks and charge domination does. With charge, forcefield absorbs much more damage than aegis of fate.

OPTIONS
You can exchange Heavy Lifting 15 or Fire & Spark 10 for Bukwark 15 or 10. I recomend fire & spark.
3 - LEVELING
As soon as possible, take the skill point from flame hammer and put it at another skill of the build.

Priorities to spend skill points:
1 - getting the first level of blast cannon, spider mines, healing bot and force field
2 - getting the first level of any other skill of the build
3 - maxing healing bot
4 - maxing spider mines and force field
5 - spend points as you wish

Keep Blat Cannon at level 1 or 2 until you're level 20, keep it at level 5 until you're at least level 50.
4 - ROTATION
1 - When entering a new area, cast healing bot and immobilization copter
2 - Forcefield if the shield is down. Always keep forcefield up. If it's in cooldown, run until you can cast it.
3 - cast gunbot and sledgebot if you're facing a boss, or a elite, or a crowd of mobs to big
4 - spam spider mines. Blast cannon if something gets to near. Use mana potions if you need. Then return to 2

at any moment during the rotation, use storm burst to keep distance from enemies

Remember to ALWAYS keep forcefield up
5 - HOTKEYS
I like to put the healing bot, gunbot, sledgebot and immobilization copter at the bar and at the right click I rotate between skills using the hotkeys F1 (forcefield), F2 (blastcannon) and F3 (storm burst). The left click is only for auto-attack, movimentation and picking up itens.
6 - STATS
Put 2 points in FOCUS, 1 point in DEX and 2 points in VITALITY per level until you reach DEX 53.
After that, put 3 points in FOCUS and 2 points in VIT per level.
7 - SPELLS
try to have these spells:
Animal Handling
Concetration
Armor Expertise
8 - PET SPELLS
try to have these spells in your pet:
Silence
Heal All
Summon Skeleton
Summon Zombies or Summob Nether Imp
9 - SUPER HINTS
1 - Before going to the frosted hills, farm 10 eyes of grell and use as many as you can in yours items slots.

2 - If you`re about to die, click "ESC" quickly and leave the game. Reroll the world before entering again and you`ll save your character.

3 - Try to gamble itens if you have money to spend

4 - Do not go to Frozen Caverns with the yeti

5 - Do not enter the Arena of Slaughter
20 Comments
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Imada  [author] 23 Feb, 2024 @ 3:20pm 
@screwy that's so nice, I'm honored to have helped you
screwy 23 Feb, 2024 @ 2:04pm 
Thank you so much for this guide, i just beat the Netherking on HC Elite at first try :)
Imada  [author] 10 Oct, 2023 @ 12:07pm 
Thanks for all compliements and congratulations for everyone that reached the goal of beating the netherlord using my build
Imada  [author] 10 Oct, 2023 @ 12:06pm 
@Valamyr
Focus increases mana and mana regen, It is obvious that It is important in a Summoner build.
Dex 53 gives 10% crit chance. It is a good spot for dex.
Vit helps a lot in a hardcore game. If It were a super effective late game NO-hardcore build, VIT would be ignored. But It is not. The goal here is to survive one run in hardcore, not to reach late game with the best stats possible.
STR is ignored because blast Cannon is not the main damage fountain of this build. The base are the summons. Blast Cannon is so secondary that you can Exchange fire&spark or heavy lifting for bukwark
Imada  [author] 10 Oct, 2023 @ 11:53am 
@Janediel, It increases the blast Cannon damage.
悲伤 17 Sep, 2023 @ 3:36pm 
Yoo, thanks man for your guides! I just finnish my engineer summoner on hardcore elite. I find it more useful for me to max out Bulwark, rather than Heavy Lifting and Blast Cannon, because i don't have to shoot that much anyway :)
Valamyr 26 Feb, 2023 @ 7:11pm 
> Put 2 points in FOCUS, 1 point in DEX and 2 points in VITALITY per level until you reach DEX 53. After that, put 3 points in FOCUS and 2 points in VIT per level.

I know your builds are good, but I don't understand this right. Cannoneers work off weapon damage, so shouldnt STR be a priority rather than fully ignored? And while VIT does *slightly* help with survability, it seems way too much for a non-shield build where it's effect is rather slim, (especially later on).

Can you elaborate on that advice a bit? Thanks!
Janediel 13 Feb, 2023 @ 4:45am 
Hiya Imada, Fire&Spark doesn't seem to increase the damage done by the Spider Mines, or Blast cannon either https://reddit.com/r/Torchlight/comments/112dsc/question_about_fire_and_spark_spider_mines/ and https://cs2bus.com/app/200710/discussions/0/610574106414497815/
Hannya- 29 Jan, 2023 @ 6:34pm 
Thank you
This build works cool, i just killed the Nether Lord on hardcore elite on my first playthrough
I found a 2 socket cannon and socketed with blood embers for massive dot damage, it helped a lot
Imada  [author] 4 Oct, 2021 @ 7:14am 
Yes, its good